Looking for the best robotics books? I’ve got you covered.
The list below includes excellent books on robotics for beginners and experts.
Top 5 Robotics Books
1. Probabilistic Robotics by Sebastian Thrun et al.
This robotics book introduces you to the algorithms and techniques of the newest robotics’ field that deals with control and perception when faced with uncertainty.
Probabilistic robotics leverages mathematical statistics to enhance the robustness of robots in the real world.
This is an excellent book for anyone interested in robotic software development.
What’s in it for you:
- Implementation examples in pseudocode
- Comprehensive mathematical derivations
- Discussions from a professional’s perspective
2. Introduction to Robotics by John J. Craig
This robotics book introduces you to robotic theory/application and the science and engineering of mechanical manipulation.
It’s an excellent resource for undergraduates and graduates taking robotics courses.
What’s in it for you:
- Covers several topics, including:
- Mechanical design aspects
- Robotic programming
- Force control methodologies
- Rigid body transformations
- Linear and non-linear control
3. Springer Handbook of Robotics by Bruno Siciliano (Editor)
The field of robotics is rapidly transforming and expanding into real-world applications.
Springer Handbook of Robotics explores these new applications and developments from the perspective of top researchers around the globe.
The handbook is suitable for both robotics specialists and beginners interested in the field.
What’s in it for you: a comprehensive robotics book edited by world-renowned experts
4. Robotics, Vision and Control by Peter Corke
For more than 10 years, Peter Corke has maintained two toolboxes on robotics and vision in open-source MATLAB code.
This robotics book expands on the toolbox material and provides more examples and real-world problems.
Corke teaches you how to analyze and solve complex problems using a few lines of code and hopes to inspire upcoming researchers.
What’s in it for you:
- An easy-to-read guide with MATLAB examples and figures
- Covers the fundamentals of:
- Dynamics and joint level control
- Robot kinematics
- Camera models
- Feature extraction and epipolar geometry
- Image processing
- Visual servoing
5. Robot Modeling and Control by Mark W. Spong et al.
This robotics book introduces you to robot modeling and control.
It offers applications in mobile robotics and industrial robotics and is suitable for undergraduates in electrical/mechanical engineering, mathematics, and computer science.
What’s in it for you:
- Comprehensive worked examples and problems
- Covers the fundamentals of:
- Linear algebra
- Forward and inverse kinematics
- Dynamical systems and stability theory
- Jacobians
- Motion planning
- Lagrangian dynamics
- Computer vision
- Robust and adaptive motion and force control
Other Best Robotics Books
6. Modern Robotics by Kevin M. Lynch and Frank C. Park
Modern Robotics offers a unique, unified perspective of the planning, control, and mechanics of robots.
It captures robots’ most important physical features in an intuitive, geometrical way using cutting-edge, screw-theoretic techniques.
This robotics book is suitable for self-learners and undergraduates with a little background in computing.
What’s in it for you:
- Several exercises at the end of each chapter
- Written software to reinforce the book’s concepts
- Accompanying video lectures for a classroom experience
7. Robotics by Peter Mckinnon
This book introduces you to how robots work, their history, and the three rules.
It explores robots’ essential hardware components and software basics.
What’s in it for you:
- How to build robots such as the Autonomous Wall Climbing Robot and the Obstacle Avoiding Robot
- The basics of robotics
8. Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots by Roland Siegwart et al.
From algorithms to mechanisms, this robotics book introduces you to every aspect of mobile robotics and discusses the mechanical, sensory, motor, cognitive, and perceptual layers of the field.
What’s in it for you:
- Presents problem sets at the end of each chapter
- Focuses on the mobility mechanisms that enable robots to perform tasks in the real world
- Covers material from fields such as:
- Control theory
- Kinematics
- Signal analysis
- Information theory
- Computer vision
- Artificial intelligence
- Probability theory
9. Principles of Robot Motion by H owie Choset et al.
Principles of Robot Motion simplifies the mathematical foundation of robot motion and connects implementation with algorithmic concepts.
The book discusses the great advances in robot motion planning in the past 10 years, including:
- Probabilistic planning
- Sensor-based planning
- Localization and mapping
- Motion planning for dynamic and nonholonomic systems
It’s a comprehensive resource for computer science and engineering students.
10. Robot Building for Beginners by David Cook
In this book, David Cook helps you understand the fundamentals of robot development and offers essential techniques to enable you make new discoveries.
The book is suitable for beginners in robotics.
What’s in it for you:
- How to successfully build a robot at home
- A list of general sources for tools and parts
- Essential measuring and numbering systems, and basic safety precautions
11. Robotics: A Very Short Introduction by Alan Winfield
In the modern world, robotics is crucial in areas such as manufacturing and warehouse automation.
Although the field of robotics has made great advancements over the years, it has also experienced major shortcomings.
This robotics book explains the success and failures of robots, their remarkableness and ordinariness.
What’s in it for you: a nontechnical, conceptual view of the mechanics, capabilities, and shortcomings of robots
12. Robot Builder’s Bonanza by Gordon McComb
Robot Builder’s Bonanza teaches you how to build interesting robotics projects easily and cheaply.
What’s in it for you:
- Step-by-step, easy-to-follow instructions
- How to build your own robot
- Over 24 projects for all ages and skill levels
13. Introduction to Robotics: Analysis, Systems, Applications by Saeed B. Niku
This book introduces you to the fundamentals of robots and robotic systems, robotics analysis, and robotics applications.
It’s an excellent book for engineers interested in robotics.
What’s in it for you:
- Covers topics related to:
- Integration of sensors
- Fuzzy logic
- Microprocessor actuator control
- Mechatronics
- Vision systems
14. Fundamentals of Robotics by Robert J. Schilling
This book offers a comprehensive overview of robotics, with case studies of generic, industrial, and educational robots.
What’s in it for you: class demonstration software and a lab manual
15. Industrial Robotics by Mikell P. Groover & Roger N. Nagel
Industrial Robotics covers the contributions of fields such as electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering to robotics.
What’s in it for you:
- Presents case studies, end-of-chapter exercises, and problem sets
- Covers topics such as:
- Robot applications
- Robot programming
- Machine vision
- Robot technology
- Artificial intelligence
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